Ukrainian soldiers confess to murder of mother and daughter: prosecutor

KIEV (Reuters) - Two Ukrainian servicemen have confessed to murdering a mother and daughter in east Ukraine after suspecting them of separatist sympathies, the prosecutor's office for the Kiev-controlled part of Donetsk region said on Wednesday.

A 77-year-old woman and her 45-year-old daughter died of gunshot wounds to the head after the soldiers entered their house in the government-held town of Luhanske on Monday and fired machine guns, it said in statement.

"Two Ukrainian soldiers, who are 23 and 25 years old, have been detained. They have confessed to the murder," it said, without giving further details.

Since April of last year, Ukrainian forces have been battling a pro-Russian rebellion in the east of the country. The conflict has killed over 6,200 people. A ceasefire was signed in February, but fighting has continued sporadically.